"The Giro is open and exciting as never before" believes Jens Voigt following Remco Evenepoel's departure
Cycling
The departure of a star rider such as Remco Evenepoel could be considered a blow to any race. Eurosport analyst Jens Voigt however, believes that it makes the Maglia Rosa battle even more exciting at the Giro d'Italia.
"The Giro is open and exciting as never before," the German former Giro d'Italia stage winner says to Eurosport. “I can't remember a Grand Tour where the first three riders were within five seconds of each other after more than 100km. The competitors for the podium all look equally strong and balanced. From now on, every stage will be super exciting. Every single second will be at stake."
Currently, Geraint Thomas is the man in the Maglia Rosa with Primoz Roglic and Thomas's INEOS Grenadiers teammate Tao Geoghegan Hart filling out the remainder of the podium with just five seconds between all three riders. "Ineos Grenadiers certainly look the strongest now - they have their captain in the leader's jersey and a very strong young rider in third," says Voigt. "They have shown in the last few days that they are the strongest team."
But by no means is it a forgone conclusion that INEOS now take the Maglia Rosa all the way to Rome. "Primoz Roglic showed in the time trial that he should not be written off. He had a mixed start, but then improved and is one of the strongest riders on the mountain. The race is more exciting than ever," Voigt explains, “Joao Almeida should also be added to the list and Lennard Kamna. However, they have to be more active in the next stages and gain a few more seconds on the difficult stages."
“Evenepoel's elimination took us all completely by surprise, but in retrospect we have to say that in the time trial he was not as strong as we all expected," Voigt continues. "He was obviously not seriously ill, but it is enough that he lacks the crucial percentages of performance. Then the only solution is to go home. Even if it is difficult and painful to drop out while in the lead."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
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- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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